Justification:
This species has a wide distribution, with no known major widespread threats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. It has also been assessed regionally as Least Concern for central, eastern and southern Africa. In north Africa, the species is recorded from Mauritania, but more information is needed on the species distribution and status within the region, and it is therefore categorised as Data Deficient.

Tilapia rendalli is known from the Senegal and Niger Rivers, the Congo to Kenya, and much of southern Africa. It has been introduced elsewhere, usually for weed control and aquaculture. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.

Central Africa:Tilapia rendalli is naturally known from the Katanga region and in the Lualaba River up to Kisangani (Stanleyville) – Isangi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. . Tilapia rendalli has been introduced as Tilapia melanopleura, for aquacultural purposes, in 1949, from Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo, to Yaoundé, Cameroon. According to Thys van den Audenaerde (1966), who observed a few specimens of T. rendalli at the fisheries station of Melen near Yaoundé, the specimens from Yangambi originated from Katanga. Its use for aquaculture in Cameroon has been abandoned. It has also been introduced, for aquacultural purposes, in 1953, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the fisheries station of Djoumouna, Congo, Congo River basin. According to Moreau et al. (1988) its use in aquaculture was abandoned, but the species probably established in the country. The introduction of T. rendalli into the Lower Guinean part of Congo is confirmed by a museum record originating from a pond at the station of Dimonika. Tilapia rendalli has also been introduced as T. melanopleura, around 1950, from Katanga but originating from the fisheries station of Kinshasa (Leopoldville), Democratic Republic of Congo, to Libreville, Makokou, Lebamba, Franceville and maybe other places in Gabon. Its presence in Gabon is confirmed by museum records from the Ogowe River basin.

Eastern Africa: This species is native to the Lake Tanganyika and Malawi Basins and Lakes Chilwa, Chuita and the Shire River (Malawi). It has been introduced in Lake Victoria and many dams and water systems all over the region, e.g. Pangani drainage (including Lake Jipe), Lake Chala and Athi/Sabaki drainage. Also introduced in the Tana River system (Mann, 1966; 1968) (Seegers et al. 2003). According to Welcomme (1988) and Lever (1996) it was introduced from an unrecorded source into Kenya in 1955 for stocking (Seegers et al. 2003). It has also been introduced and is now well settled in This species is known from upper and middle Akagera system.

Northern Africa: It is recorded from Mauritania.

Southern Africa:This species is known from the Cunene, Okavango, Zambezi system including Lake Malawi, and east coastal rivers south to the Phongolo and coastal lakes to Lake Sibaya (Skelton 2001), as well as estuaries in Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal. It is found in all Zimbabwean rivers although it was probably absent originally from the upper Save-Runde and scarce on the highveld (Junor 1969). Its distribution has been extended by translocations, especially into small farm dams, in an attempt to control plant growth.

Tilapia rendalli is a benthopelagic species that prefers quiet, well-vegetated water along river littorals or backwaters, floodplains and swamps. It is has a wide range of temperature tolerance (8-41°C) (Philippart and Ruwet 1982) and salinity to 19 ppt (Skelton 1993). It forms schools and is mainly diurnal. The juveniles feed on plankton, while adults mainly feed on higher plants and also algae, insects and crustaceans. This species prefers a sloping spawning ground near the marginal fringe of vegetation (Philippart and Ruwet 1982). It builds nest in shallow water where both parents guard the eggs and young.